


A Dream of Somewhere Else

by PrepSchoolAda



Series: DE Art Fest 2020 [18]
Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom
Genre: #DEArtFest, Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Crossover, DE Art Fest, DEArtfest, F/M, Inspired by Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrepSchoolAda/pseuds/PrepSchoolAda
Summary: DE Art Fest Day 18 - CrossoverLazzo thought it was enough for him to be Ariel's favourite human contraband smuggler. But when Ariel seems to finally be achieving her dream of becoming one with the human world, Lazzo realises he might want more than that.
Relationships: Lazzo/Ariel
Series: DE Art Fest 2020 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799098
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	A Dream of Somewhere Else

**Author's Note:**

> this is a bit of a sequel to my mermaid AU fic! I got really attached to Lazzo/Ariel for some reason. I may turn this into a larger multi chapter fic at some point after art fest! it's fun to play around with
> 
> [the original fic upon which this is based!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980884)

Scuttle had requested an audience with Lazzo for the first time in months.

This was odd; since Lazzo had become Ariel's unofficial sole smuggler of human contraband, they'd not really needed Scuttle as a go-between anymore. Their setup was simple; once a week, Lazzo would visit Ariel's grotto with curiosities and treasures he'd found from his daily shipwreck scavenging, and Ariel would take what she pleased (which was usually most of his stash). It was a system that had worked quite well for them so far and they saw no need to change it.

While Lazzo was indeed being paid by Ariel to carry out these weekly visits, eventually he found that he rather enjoyed carrying them out for the sake of her company. Lazzo had never really known what it was like to have a friend, and Ariel had shaped up to be a pretty good one. She always asked how he was and what his day had been like. At first Lazzo assumed she just wanted to hear stories about his adventures gathering 'human stuff' and whether or not he'd encountered any real life humans, but then Ariel had inquired about him personally. She asked him about his own desires once. He'd never forgotten it.

"You must be so happy," Ariel had wistfully said to him one day. "You get to be around all this human stuff every day and learn all about them... it sounds like a dream."

Lazzo had grimaced and shrugged. "It puts food on the table, at least. It's a job, y'know?"

Lazzo hadn't expected Ariel to understand that at all, she was so deliriously high on the mere idea of humans, but her constant smile had only widened.

"So what do you want to do with your life?" said Ariel brightly, and then she strongly flinched at her own words. "Sorry, I sound like my father..."

"It's cool," said Lazzo nonchalantly. "I... I like doing _this_?"

Ariel raised an eyebrow. "You just said you didn't enjoy smuggling all that much?"

"Not the smuggling, the part after the smuggling. Y'know, making merpeople happy when I bring them what they ask for. Seeing them smile. I don't know, dude. I don't really know anything other than what I do, so I just kinda... hold onto the parts that make me happy?"

Ariel smiled patiently. "Holding onto little specks of happiness... that sounds pretty nice."

She sighed. "I hate it here, Lazzo. I wasn't made for the sea. I'm not supposed to be here."

Lazzo wondered why it broke his heart so much to hear that Ariel didn't feel like she belonged in the same realm as him. 

"I know it's important to you, but humans aren't that great," said Lazzo, trying his damnedest to sound casual about this assertion. "They're basically us without tails. Plus they have to do this weird thing where they drink a bunch of water - they can't breathe it like us, see - and then they like, pee it out."

Ariel giggled. "Pee?"

"I don't know how to explain without being gross about it," Lazzo conceded.

"Well," Ariel said, shrugging. "I guess I'll find out about it when I become human. Someday. I don't know how or when, Lazzo, but I will."

Lazzo didn't know why, but the thought of Ariel not being around anymore and choosing a life in the world above over all her friends and family in the sea made him very sad. Unbeknownst to Ariel, the whole situation made Flounder and Sebastian angry sometimes, he knew that, but he didn't have it in him to be resentful towards Ariel. He was simply crestfallen whenever he considered the possibility of her being gone. She was the best company he'd ever had.

A week later, Scuttle informed Lazzo that Ariel had achieved her goal. She was human. Lazzo's heart sank to his tail fins.

Scuttle made it clear that while he and Sebastian were keeping an eye on Ariel, any help that Lazzo could provide would be of great assistance. Ariel had three days to make the prince she'd fallen in love with kiss her or the spell would wear off. She didn't have her voice to help her, so anything Lazzo could do on his end to speed the process along or simply support Ariel would be much appreciated.

Shortly after hearing the news, Lazzo swam to the shore by the castle and gazed upon the kingdom he'd been told Ariel was staying in. It was wonderful, and looked like the kind of place Ariel would love. It was completely out of the water, for one thing, so it would be a big win in Ariel's book if she got to live there forever. It was huge and undoubtedly fit for a princess. Lazzo imagined Ariel learning to dance on her new feet, exploring all the rooms, and all the while wearing that huge brilliant smile. It was strange imagining Ariel without her voice. He had no doubt the prince would fall for her with or without it, in any case.

One window still had light shining through it. Lazzo could see a silhouette of someone with very big bushy hair struggling to get a comb through it. Wait... the person was using a fork. Ariel was brushing her hair with a fork. A dinglehopper.

Lazzo giggled to himself, and kept watch over the window until the light went out. When it did, he returned to the sea with a sigh. He couldn't stay there all night. He still had some clients to see before morning, and it was going to be very strange that Ariel wasn't among them anymore. Perhaps she never would be again.

**Author's Note:**

> so... I would love to expand on this later when I have time? right now I've got 31 other fics to worry about and a master's portfolio to do, but I'd LOVE to do a whole TLM fic? With Ariel and Lazzo becoming friends and Lazzo recommending Ursula to Ariel even though he loves her and then later he finds out Ursula's evil and then Ariel realises she isn't really happy in the human world without Lazzo??? idk it's weird af but I wanna do it
> 
> Also Sparrow (legendtripper on AO3!) gave me the sweetest idea ever of having Lazzo smuggling android arms in DE for his secret mermaid girlfriend who was really into arms, and the mermaid girlfriend is Ariel. I LOVE that idea!
> 
> it wouldn't be for at least a few months, but for now that's the plan!


End file.
